The La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Valencia this Saturday is going to be a very important one for the Catalan club. Winning this match is not only needed to keep Barcelona within touching distance of the top of the league table but is also essential for Xavi to retain his job as the first-team head coach at his beloved club.
Xavi has successfully led the team to the Champions League Round of 16 after a gap of two years, but the defeat against Royal Antwerp in the last group stage match has resulted in a lot of criticism being directed towards the Barcelona head coach.
The former midfielder answered questions related to this last setback, the upcoming match against Valencia, and several other subjects related to the club and the different competitions Barcelona is involved in, in his press conference ahead of the match against Valencia.
The main highlights of the press conference are as follows:
Xavi started the press conference by describing the upcoming match against Valencia as a final:
“It’s a final because we need points. The defeats against Madrid and Girona hurt us a lot in La Liga. It’s a very tough opponent, and we’re facing it as a final.”
Xavi was also asked to explain why he sees the game against Valencia as a final, to which he replied:
“Because it’s clear it would become very complicated, but why think negatively? We need points.”
The Barcelona head coach was very optimistic about the current Barcelona project despite the poor results in the last two matches:
“No, no, not at all. I’m very excited. It’s time to be consistent, stay calm, and build confidence. I believe in the project more than ever. We have a fantastic unity; I spoke to Deco yesterday. Things are being done very well, and I believe we’re halfway to creating a great Barça.
“What surprises me is that at the first turn, people jump off the ship. Maybe it’s the second turn, and more than ever, we have to believe. Here, the alarms always go off, but everything is at stake. We don’t learn: last season, we were in a similar situation. Why can’t this end up being an excellent season?”
Xavi explained that the dressing room is still fully behind him and his staff:
“No doubt about it. We have a dressing room that’s wonderful: everyone is disappointed when things don’t go well. But they’re fully behind the coaching staff and the club.”
In addition to the dressing room, Xavi was also getting the support from all the important people in the club’s administration:
“No, I’ve never felt alone. Firstly, because I have my coaching staff, the president, and my friends. I don’t feel alone: Laporta hasn’t let me down, neither has Deco, nor Yuste, nor before them, Jordi or Mateu. From within, we are positive.”
The former midfielder recalled how Barcelona were facing a similar situation last season, but ended up winning La Liga, and was optimistic the same will happen this season as well:
“It’s the same as last season. In October, we wanted to burn everything down. It surprises me; five months ago, we were on a parade route, and at the first turn, we’re in the same place.”
Instead of thinking about quitting, Xavi was thinking of solutions for getting his beloved club out of this difficult period:
“It’s more challenging, but I like to pull the cart, to lead. I give more of myself in these situations: I haven’t thought about quitting. More involved, more committed: I don’t want to let down the club of my life.”
Xavi was sure that fans are still behind him, and it was only the media that is putting a negative light on him and the club:
“The fans chant my name; those who are jumping ship are those around us. I understand that Barça-affiliated media can’t abandon us at the first hurdle.”
“No, no, on the streets, they show me support. That’s not the problem: the fans are fantastic. Right now, we’re in a small slump in results, one that doesn’t weigh much. There’s time to recover from it.”
Xavi encouraged the reporters in the room to think more positively as the team is still alive in all the competitions:
“No, I think there’s a misrepresentation of what’s being explained. It’s a time to trust: we can win four titles. We must believe more than ever. External belief in the project is lacking.”
“I don’t even understand it myself. If we had been eliminated from the Champions League, I would have understood the noise. We’re on track in La Liga, of course, we need to improve, but we’re in the fight across four competitions.”
However, he also admitted that if the results are not obtained, he might have to leave at the end of the season:
“Many times what happens is for the best… to improve and keep working. This is about performance, and if there are no results, the coach will have to leave at the end of the season. I don’t know if I’m being treated unfairly, but unnecessary tension is being created.”
When asked if there is someone inside the club trying to push him out, Xavi refrained from giving too much of an answer:
“Can’t quite answer that, but what’s being explained is unrealistic. Everything is at stake.”
Despite the losses in the last two matches, Xavi was adamant that the team has also put on impressive displays in the last few weeks, especially against Atletico Madrid and Porto:
“We have to demand more from ourselves. Demand from the players, but things are being done well. Against Atlético, we played one of the best games since I’ve been here. And against Porto, we had a remarkable match. But we have to improve.”
Despite reports of Deco not being fully behind Xavi, the head coach clarified that his relationship with the Sporting Director is still excellent:
“I’ve been told directly and also publicly. It’s been said that I have a bad relationship with Deco, but our relationship is extraordinary.”
Barcelona have been reported to be looking to sign the Argentine pearl Claudio Echeverri, and Xavi was seemingly also impressed with him:
“Yes, I know him; he’s talented. A game-changing player, but this is in the realm of scouting, and they’re working on it.”
Xavi complained to the reporters about their specific focus on the team’s problems, and not congratulating him for the progress to the UCL Round of 16:
“I receive messages as if it’s a funeral, as if my father or mother had died. By the way, none of you congratulated me on advancing in the Champions League. The first objective achieved, La Liga intact, the Cup intact… Why be in depression?”
The Barcelona head coach was sure that the current project is a good one for the club, and needed only stability to be successful:
“A month ago, you asked me if I was going to be the Ferguson of Barça. Then I’ll go crazy: now I’m on the street. I don’t know where I am. The club needs stability. All projects of other teams, when there have been bumps, stability.
We are a winning project. We are the reigning champions of the league. If we lose or draw in Valencia, stability. That’s what we need in the post-Messi era and in an extremely complicated economic situation.”
Source: SPORT
